1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is in the field of entrance and egress hardware including gate latches and pertains particularly to a system for latching and unlatching a gate.
2. Discussion of the State of the Art
In the art of construction, particularly of perimeter fencing, gate latches are used to affect latching between a swing gate and a gatepost. The most common latches are vertical latches that, with the aid of gravity and a passive bar-grabbing design function to latch gates to prevent entrance to or egress from a fenced area.
Many vertical latch assemblies include a flat mounting plate and latch housing with a pivotally mounted latching plate disposed within the latch housing. Gravity keeps the latch plate in the closed position. A rounded front face on the latch plate allows a latch bar to be inserted into the latching position of the assembly, such action lifting the latch plate enough to accept the bar. Gravity then urges the latch plate down over the latch bar providing a latched gate. A limitation with current vertical latches is that there are no user-operated components for opening or for closing the latch. A user may swing the gate closed to effect latching but must manually lift the latch to release the gate.
The inventor is aware of a tube assembly that houses a pull line inserted through the tube that may be tied or otherwise connected to a seat on a vertical latch plate of a mounted latch bar assembly and to a handle or knob on the pull end of the gate post. The tube assembly contains a spring installed over and crimped in place on the pull line to provide resistance on pull or lift up of the latch plate and mild back pressure when released or relaxed to provide some force, however slight, to assist the latch plate to stay closed over the latch bar. One limitation of the tube assembly is that there are no user-operable and aesthetic interfaces on the side of the assembly opposite the pull knob.
Therefore, what is clearly needed is a gate latching and unlatching system that addresses the limitations discussed above.